Our team

Andy Parsons, Chief Executive

I have been involved with sport and outdoor recreation for over ten years. As Chief Executive of South West Lakes Trust, I want to ensure that everyone has the opportunity to benefit from health giving experiences in the great outdoors - whether that's having a stroll, going for a bike ride or taking part in high octane watersports activities. My working week is spent in Cornwall, Devon and Somerset, working alongside a brilliant team – working hard and having a lot of fun along the way. I live in the Cotswolds with my wife, four children and two dogs. I really enjoying cycling around the Cotswolds - lovely views, very little traffic and not too many big hills (at least not on the routes that I use!). I am the youth co-ordinator at Chipping Campden Cricket Club and I also play for them at the weekends - although I have to confess it now takes a couple of days to recover.

James Platts, Partnerships and Business Development Director

I have enjoyed family time with my kids - camping, sailing, walking and eating ice cream at the lakes. I am fortunate that my work with our charity enables me to make sure more people can enjoy the land and especially the water – getting out there is a real tonic for our hectic lifestyles.

Diane Bassett FCCA, Strategic Director of Corporate Services

I never thought when I moved back to Cornwall that I would find such a great organisation to work for, especially a charity with such beautiful sites – it’s given me the opportunity to be involved in some wonderful projects. I love visiting the lakes to walk and cycle with my family and enjoy the ‘great outdoors’, especially when followed up with a delicious hot chocolate and carrot cake.

Colin Vallance, Operations Director, Wheal Martyn

I love the variety of being involved in such a dynamic charity which combines my passion for the countryside with the opportunity to make a difference for people. It is a privilege to head up the Wheal Martyn charity, celebrating and making accessible the heritage of one of Cornwall’s most important industries, in such a special and unique place – I am continually inspired by the dedication and passion of our wonderful volunteers .

Lisa Tame, Impacts and Engagement Director

I count myself as very lucky to work for such a vibrant charity with a clear passion for protecting our special habitats and wildlife and enabling people to explore and enjoy the lakes we manage. My family and I spend a great deal of time outdoors and I also love trail running (whenever possible), so many happy memories can be made whilst enjoying the great outdoors. I relish the challenge of such a varied role of Impacts and Engagement Director, leading our communications team and being responsible for our fundraising and the development of our charitable projects, which means I get to work across the region and with our fantastic teams at our lakes.

Lesley Whitworth, Head of Finance

I love working here. Every day I come into work and learn something new: how to tackle invasive plants in my garden, how to identify different birds and butterflies that visit our lakes, the fascinating history of the clay industry in Cornwall and that there are some big fish lurking at the bottom of our lakes! I have recently purchased two paddleboards, so I am looking forward to spending some quality family time at the lakes, camping and splashing around!

Phil Timings, Head of Business Development

Working for SW Lakes is such a fantastic job for me. Having grown up enjoying adventures in the great outdoors, I take great fulfilment from helping others to have similar memorable and positive experiences. Having run the activity centres for several years, it has been amazing to see so many people and families having fun and making the most of what our lakes can offer. My role now means that I help across the organisation to develop new ideas, ensure that more people can access our lakes and that we are able to continue delivering our charitable work long into the future.

Ben Smeeth, Head of Angling

I have been an ‘outdoors’ person my whole life and to be able to work within an area for which I have a lifelong passion is amazing. What I love most is seeing people enjoying themselves at the lakes and if I can have a positive impact on our visitors through my work it makes it more rewarding. I take great pride in what I do and enjoy sharing that with my young children who love visiting the lakes and enjoying such special places with me.

Neil Reeves, Head of Countryside and Recreation

“It’s not a bad office you’ve got!”

You only need to look out over one of our lakes on a sunny day to understand why I do what I do. This, combined with a passion for the natural world and encouraging people of all ages and abilities to enjoy and learn from it fills me with enthusiasm. I love living on Dartmoor with my family and working to deliver Conservation, Access & Recreation across the lakes of the South West with simply “the best” team of staff and volunteers is a real privilege.

Beth Cross, Senior Countryside Warden - Cornwall

Kit Hancock, Senior Countryside Warden - Devon

Our Board of Trustees meet six times per year, monitoring the overall performance of the charity and making sure that we continue to pursue our charitable aims. All our Trustees volunteer their time, experience and enthusiasm to support the Chief Executive and the team in achieving our strategic goals.

David Robertson, Chairman

David was, until 31 March 2011, the Finance Director of Viridor, having previously been Financial Controller of the Pennon Group Plc. He joined the Pennon Group in 1991 as Group Auditor. Prior to that he worked for KPMG, where he was Senior Manager of the Exeter office. A Fellow of the Institute of Chartered Accountants in England and Wales and is a graduate in Business Studies. He was also a non executive director of the Royal Devon and Exeter NHS Foundation Trust from 2010 to 2017.

Malcolm Bell

Malcolm became Chief Executive at Visit Cornwall in January 2010. His previous appointment was as Chief Executive of South West Tourism. Prior to this he was Director of Economic Development for Devon & Cornwall. He is the Chairman and a non executive director of South West Lakes Limited and other appointments include membership of the Forestry Commission’s Regional Advisory Board and a Trustee of the Charity that oversees the Fifteen Cornwall Restaurant that helps disadvantaged youths to train to be chefs.

Monica Read

Monica was, until recently, Business Services & Sustainability Director of South West Water Limited. She joined South West Water in 1992 and was responsible for Business Development, HR and Employee Development. Prior to South West Water, Monica worked for Touche Ross & Co. She is a member of the Institute of Chartered Accountants and is a graduate in Environmental Science. Monica is a non-executive director of the Trust’s trading company, South West Lakes Limited.

John Lee OBE

John chairs the boards of the Devon County Agricultural Association, Westpoint Centre Devon Ltd, Mole Avon Trading Ltd and the Rural Youth Trust. He is President of Devon Communities Together and Mid Devon Show and Patron of Devon and Cornwall Police Cadets and Local Heroes. He is a member of Exeter Cathedral Council and regularly chairs the Independent Agricultural Appeals Panel on behalf of the Minister. He is a past High Sheriff of Devon, Chair of Governors of Bicton College, Chairman of Farming & Countryside Education and an EU CAP advisor. John currently serves as our Vice-Chairman.

Dinah Nichols CB

DINAH NICHOLS, CB – is a Governor of Plymouth University and a Trustee of the Land Trust. She was previously a non-executive director of Pennon Plc, a Commissioner of The Crown Estate, Chair of the National Forest Company and Director General (Environment) at DEFRA. She recently stepped down as Chair of the Keep Britain Tidy campaign.

Ed Mitchell

Ed was appointed in 2017 as Director of Environment for Pennon. Prior to this he was Executive Director at the Environment Agency, responsible for their approach to water quality, water resources, industry regulation, land management, climate change adaptation and sustainable development.

Ed is a Non-Executive Director of Water and Sanitation for the Urban Poor, a not-for-profit company he helped set up which provides water, sanitation and hygiene services to people living in slums in the developing world. He is also Deputy Chair of South West Water and Bournemouth Water’s Customer Challenge Group, the WaterFuture Customer Panel and Chair of South West Water’s Conservation and Recreation Forum. He chairs the Canal and River Trust Environmental Advisory Group and is a member of the Audit and Risk Committee of the Vale Academy Trust, a group of primary and secondary schools in Oxfordshire.

Chris Balch

Chris is Emeritus Professor of Planning at Plymouth University and a member of the Supervisory Board of Ecorys b.v., a European research and policy consultancy. Until 2017 he was also Non-Executive Chairman of Hilson Moran, Consulting Engineers. A Chartered Town Planner and Surveyor, he spent much of his career in private practice becoming Managing Director of DTZ UK & Ireland. He was Chair of Basildon Renaissance Partnership and a member of the Council of Essex University. He is currently Chair of the Royal Town Planning Institute in the South West and has been Chair of the Burrator Advisory Group for the last five years.

Dan James

Dan James is currently Sustainable Economy Manager for Exmoor National Park Authority with responsibility for tourism, business support, economic development and income generation, as well as overseeing the Authority’s grants programme. He represents the South West’s National Parks on the Heart of the South West’s Policy and Technical Advisory Group and serves as an advisor to two LEADER funding groups. He has also been the lead Tourism Officer for the UK National Parks over the last 5 years. Prior to his current role, Dan was the Operations Director for the Snowdonia Society, where he led the public fundraising appeal for the new Snowdon summit building. He has successfully secured and delivered grant funded projects from a range of sources including European and Central Government, Lottery, charitable trusts and philanthropic support.

Ashley Shopland

Ashley is an independent, non-executive director of South West Lakes Limited. He is the General Manager of the UK Platform within Imerys Minerals Ltd. the china clay company based in St Austell. Originally from Launceston, his career started with English China Clays (ECC) where he gained his professional qualification in accountancy. Through various roles, he has travelled abroad extensively with the company and now has responsibility for a business supplying UK products globally. He has also served on the SW Council of the CBI for many years, as well as previously being a Governor of various schools in the St Austell area.

Stuart McCullough

Stuart is an independent, non-executive director of South West Lakes Limited.

A life-long fly fisherman and keen sailor, Stuart spent most of his career in international leadership roles with automotive manufacturers such as Volkswagen and Toyota before moving to the South West.

As Managing Director of the European Lexus business and then Member of the Board for Sales & Marketing at Bentley, he has considerable experience of building businesses through brand reputation and developing quality products and services. He has a particular interest in building a customer service culture within organisations and has frequently been asked to speak on the subject at home and overseas.

He has been a Vice President of the Society of Motor Manufacturers and Traders representing the industry in negotiations with the UK government and the EU.

Jo Traill Thomson

Jo is currently working on natural capital and local delivery for Natural England with responsibility for the Defra North Devon Landscape Pioneer. Previously she has worked as an Environmental Economics Adviser in Southern Africa with IUCN and the Department for International Development. Since 2001 she has worked in the South West on externally funded projects, protected landscapes and with Cornwall Council as a Strategy Manager.

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Roadford Lake sits within the stunning surroundings of the Wolf Valley, close to Launceston on the Cornwall border. One of the biggest and busiest inland waters in the South West, the lake is surrounded by a variety of natural habitats, including Culm Grasslands, woodlands, old pastures and orchards.

Lopwell Dam is a beautiful spot at any time of the year; the colours and views on display are simply breathtaking.
Near Plymouth, the Local Nature Reserve is home to a varied range of wildlife, both in and out of the water. Delve into Lopwell’s long history (all the way back to the 13th century!), and learn about how this peaceful haven was once a busy river quay that served Plymouth and London, with a mineshaft used for mining lead and silver.

We are dedicated to the protection of the natural environment found at our lakes and are passionate about people from all walks of life being able to benefit from the wonderful countryside around our lakes. From walking and cycling to angling and watersports, we offer fantastic opportunities for great days out and regular visits for health and well-being, discovering and exploring at lakes across the south west of England.

Near the idyllic village of Chagford, Fernworthy Reservoir is an archaeological jewel in the heart of Dartmoor National Park.
Walk through meadows, woodland and moorland, and take in the fascinating cultural heritage of ancient stone cairns, Bronze Age hut circles and submerged clapper bridges, while enjoying beautiful lakeside views.

As a charity always aiming to improve the environment and provide great facilities for informal and organised activities, we appreciate donations for where our need is greatest at the time. If you would like to support our work with a one-off or regular donation and are happy for us to decide where the need is greatest, please use the donation buttons below.

We have officially launched our new Friends of South West Lakes scheme, offering a new way for supporters to get involved with our charitable work.
This new approach offers a fresh perspective on being a ‘Friend’; crucially, it is more than ‘just a car parking pass’.